Every Ten-God name is relative to the Day Master. The same stem changes category when the Day Master changes, which is why memorizing fixed labels for individual characters produces errors.
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Build five relationship families first
The same element as the Day Master is Companion; what the Day Master produces is Output; what the Day Master controls is Wealth; what controls the Day Master is Power or Officer; and what produces the Day Master is Resource.
Say the arrow aloud. Water produces Wood, so Water is Resource to a Wood Day Master; Wood produces Fire, so Fire is Output. “They are in a productive cycle” is not precise enough.
Yin-yang polarity splits each family into two
Same and opposite polarity produce the paired labels commonly translated as Friend and Rob Wealth; Eating God and Hurting Officer; Indirect and Direct Wealth; Seven Killings and Direct Officer; Indirect and Direct Resource.
English translations differ. Keep the Chinese characters or pinyin beside the English term when accuracy matters, and do not infer moral value from Direct versus Indirect.
Reading rule
Keep calculated values, lineage rules, and context-dependent interpretation in separate layers.
Branches require a stated hidden-stem method
For visible stems, element and polarity are direct. Earthly Branches contain hidden stems, so software may show one headline Ten God from the principal qi and additional relations for every hidden stem.
A single label printed below a branch does not exhaust that branch. Check the hidden-stem table and whether the program displays main, middle, and residual qi.
Traditional symbols are broader than literal events
Wealth can describe resources, management, or what the Day Master controls; Officer can describe rules, pressure, status, or responsibility; Resource can describe support, learning, or protection. Gendered spouse assignments appear in traditional readings but should not be treated as universal facts.
Translate categories into observable behavior and context rather than diagnosing character. One Hurting Officer marker does not prove rebellion, and one Direct Wealth marker does not prove money.
Count is less important than season and structure
A chart can display several labels without each having equal strength. Month command, roots, visible stems, combinations, clashes, and the Day Master’s condition affect how readers prioritize them.
Use Ten Gods to name relationships, then return to the full chart. A frequency chart alone cannot select a useful element or predict an event.
Worked example: Jia Wood against five stems
For a hypothetical Jia Wood Day Master: Yi Wood is the opposite-polarity Companion relation, Ding Fire is opposite-polarity Output, Wu Earth is same-polarity Wealth, Xin Metal is opposite-polarity Power, and Ren Water is same-polarity Resource.
The purpose is to reconstruct the arrows and polarity, not memorize the finished names. Change the Day Master and every label must be recalculated.
A relationship label is not a life verdict
Ten Gods belong to a traditional symbolic model and are not scientifically validated traits. Calculation can be reproducible under a stated table; interpretation remains contextual and school-dependent.
Avoid using gendered or moralized labels to limit a person’s work, relationships, or identity. Important decisions require evidence beyond the chart.
This article explains traditional East Asian metaphysical systems for education and reflection. It is not medical, legal, financial, or other professional advice.